Calls for mandatory police liability insurance gain momentum

Advocates believe that requiring officers to carry additional insurance will help curb police misconduct

Insurance News

By Louie Bacani

The proposal to require Minneapolis police officers to carry professional liability insurance is now a step closer to the ballot after a petition mustered enough signatures.
 
City officials have confirmed that the Committee for Professional Policing had obtained 7,054 signatures from registered voters for the proposed Police Insurance Amendment, the Star Tribune reported.
 
This number exceeds the threshold of 6,869 signatures needed to refer a charter amendment to the electorate, the report said.
 
The proposal will now go the City Council, which is expected to consult the city attorney and ask for a legal review from the city staff in July 22.
 
The council will decide in August whether the proposal amounts to a proper amendment to the city charter, according to the report.
 
Proponents of the proposed Police Insurance Amendment believe that requiring police officers to carry additional insurance will curb police misconduct.
 
If the amendment is passed in November, Minneapolis – which is self-insured – can choose to pay only for the base rate of coverage for police officers.
 
This means rogue officers who commit misconduct will use their own money to pay any increased premiums resulting from their wrongdoings. Those facing dozens of complaints may even lose their insurance and jobs.
 
“Minneapolis will be the first city to require officers to carry their own professional liability insurance, and insurance companies will quickly enter the market and compete heavily on price,” promoters of the proposal said on their website.
 

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